Here’s Newport 1983: America’s Cup Summer

The America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in international sports and was first awarded in 1851. It is unusual in that the Cup is not contested on a set schedule; rather, a yacht club that wishes to challenge for the Cup will contact the yacht club which holds the cup, and they will contest the event at a mutually agreed upon time and venue. Multiple challengers can be involved, as well as many stages of qualifying rounds.

The 1983 America’s Cup was monumental for Newport and the New York Yacht Club — their ultimate loss to the Royal Perth Yacht Club was the first time in 132 years that the Americans had lost their defense of the cup. The New York Yacht Club hasn’t challenged for the Cup since — until now. In the upcoming 36th Americas Cup, to be sailed in Auckland, New Zealand in 2012, the New York Yacht Club has challenged under the name American Magic. Along with a handful of other teams, they’ll be challenging the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

Enjoy these scans from a magazine we found tucked away in the attic, called “Here’s Newport 1983: America’s Cup Summer.” The ads, the articles and the restaurant listings show us how much things have changed — and, how much they’ve stayed the same! Check out these scans we took: